Referring now to FIG. 1, a functional block diagram of a wireless router 100 according to the prior art is presented. The wireless router 100 includes a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) transceiver 102, which uses IEEE 802.11 to communicate with multiple wireless client devices (not shown). The wireless LAN transceiver 102 communicates with a routing module 104 and with a processor 106. The processor 106 communicates with system storage 108 and with a WAN (Wide Area Network) Ethernet port 110, which provides an RJ-45 connector for connecting to a cable modem, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) modem, or any other suitable WAN connection. The wireless router 100 is powered via a power cable socket 112 that receives power from an electrical outlet, usually through a transformer (not shown).
The routing module 104 also communicates with a firewall 114 and a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server 116. The routing module 104 communicates packets between the WAN Ethernet port 110 and the wireless LAN transceiver 102, subject to firewall 114 restrictions. The firewall 114 protects against malicious traffic, and may also allow for parental control. The routing module 104 can also send packets between wireless devices communicating with the wireless LAN transceiver 102. The DHCP server 116 answers requests received by the wireless LAN transceiver 102 for IP (Internet Protocol) addresses. These IP addresses are dynamically assigned to wireless devices as they attempt to connect to the wireless router 100.
The firewall 114 may also provide NAT (Network Address Translation) capability for sharing a common IP address among the multiple wireless devices communicating with the wireless LAN transceiver 102. The processor 106 controls operation of the wireless LAN transceiver 102, the routing module 104, system storage 108, the WAN Ethernet port 110, the firewall 114, and the DHCP server 116. The processor 106 retrieves instructions from system storage 108, and may also store operating parameters in system storage 108. The processor 106 may also function as a web server to provide a convenient interface to client devices for updating various settings of the wireless router 100. The firewall 114 and DHCP server 116 may be implemented as functions of the processor 106.